i really loved him

chapter 38

Regulus POV

Monday, 17th January, 23:57 – Tap, tap, tap tap, tap... tap, tap.

Regulus sat up and looked warily around the darkened room. That was odd, he thought. The elves usually came at precisely midnight, and always alerted his attention with three light, even knocks. He slipped out of bed, eased the door open and caught his breath.

Standing the other side, holding a wrapped parcel and looking immensely pleased with himself, was James.

"Happy birthday, Reggie!" he whispered excitedly. "Follow me."

Without waiting for a response, James turned on his heel and strode back towards the common room exit. Still speechless with shock, Regulus pulled on his shoes and went hastily after him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, catching up at the top of the dungeon stairs and suddenly very conscious of his dishevelled bed-hair and pyjamas.

"Celebrating!" James said brightly, handing him the parcel as they walked and whipping out his invisibility cloak. "Don't open it yet. Wait till we get there."

"Get where?" Regulus asked suspiciously.

"Nope!"

He promptly chucked the cloak over them both, and Regulus was still so stunned that he didn't have the strength to argue further.

They crossed several corridors and ascended countless stairs, seemingly heading for some distant corner of the castle. Eventually, James stopped him outside the entrance to the Astronomy tower and slid off the cloak.

"After you," he grinned, gesturing to the ladder. Regulus gave him another suspicious look but obeyed nonetheless, first passing him the present to free up his hands.

The night air washed over him in an icy wave as soon as he climbed through the trapdoor, but he barely noticed.

Because in the centre of the tower, laid out on the floor on a large tartan blanket, was a picnic. Silver bowls brimming with pumpkin pasties, tiny sandwiches, chocolate frogs and an assortment of other snacks scattered the ground, and two goblets filled with pumpkin juice stood beside them. Lit candles dotted the stone floor, casting the scene in a warm, golden glow.

Regulus stared as James clambered up the ladder behind him.

"Whadd'you think?" he asked eagerly. "I raided the kitchens earlier; got everything I could find. Wasn't sure what foods you like, so..."

"James," Regulus said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't have—"

"—Shut up," James laughed, elbowing him playfully. "We're friends, Reggie. 'Course we have to celebrate your birthday. Thought you wouldn't want a Gryffindor rager, though, right?"

"Right..." Regulus said slowly, still taking it all in. "But what about Freyda? What if she comes up here?"

"Took care of that," James told him proudly. "I filled in a star chart earlier and gave it to her after dinner. She basically sprinted to her office to mark it – reckon she won't come out till morning."

"You did voluntary Astronomy work?" Regulus marvelled.

For me? he added silently, beginning to feel giddy.

"Yup! Don't think she even noticed I'm not in her bloody class anymore."

Regulus shook his head again, overwhelmed by James' thoughtfulness; no one had ever gone to that much effort for him before.

Unsure how else to express this, he turned to James and hugged him.

"Thank you," he smiled over his shoulder.